Carton for cellulosic product



y 1, 1963 A. F. ALTREE ETAL 3,090,483

CARTON FOR CELLULOSIC PRODUCT Filed Aug. 22, 1962 United rates This invention relates to improvements in cartons of the type which may also serve as article dispensers.

A primary object of the invention is to provide an improved carton which is easily severable into a pair of attractive article dispensers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a breakapart type carton, particularly adapted for the packaging of two individual stacks of paper products such as table napkins and which is easily severable along lines of fracture into two article dispensers each of which contains one stack of articles.

A further object is to provide an improved carton in which two stacks of folded table napkins or the like are stored in abutting relation along lines of fold to permit division of the carton and its contents into two attractive article dispensers each of which houses a stack of napkins with the folds thereof exposed for easy article removal from the dispenser.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent to persons skilled in the art, upon examination of the drawings and description, without departure from the concepts herein taught as defined in the appended claims.

This application is a continuation-in-part of applicants co-pending application entitled Cellulosic Product, Serial No. 100,441, filed April 3, 1961.

In the drawings, in which like parts are identified by the same reference numerals,

FIG. 1 is a perspective vieW of the canton incorporating the inventive principles herein taught,

FIG. 2 illustrates in perspective the carton of FIG. 1 after being severed along a medial line of perforation to divide the carton into a pair of individual article dispensers,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the manner in which a marginal panel is removed from one of the individual dispensers of FIG. 2 to facilitate access to the contents thereof.

The substantially increased use, during past years, of paper products such as table napkins, facial tissues, barbers towels, table cloths and the like has resulted in a correspondingly increased demand for improved cartons for such items, with special reference to improved cartons which, when opened, may serve as attractive article dispensers. One type of such carton, particularly adapted for the storage and dispensing of folded paper table napkins and which has enjoyed widespread acceptance, is disclosed in US. Patent 2,967,610, assigned to the Kimberly-Clark Corporation, the assignee of the present invention. The popularity of that carton is attributable in part to the fact that the portion thereof bearing the manufacturers name, trademark, and directions for opening is removable during the severing operation with the carton divided into two individual dispensers devoid of advertising or other indicia, and which may be and usually is attractively colored for acceptable table or other use. In common with the carton of Patent No. 2,967,610, the present carton offers those advantages while resulting in individual dispensers of a substantially different and distinguished appearance while facilitating ease of extraction of the dispenser content.

As shown in the drawings, a generally rectangular carton of paperboard or the like, generically designated 10, includes top wall 12, a corresponding bottom wall, not

atent 3,690,483 Patented May 21, 1963 shown, a front wall 14, a corresponding back Wall 16, and side walls 18 and 20. Carton 10 is adapted to house two identical stacks of articles such as stacks or clips 22 of folded table napkins, maintained in abutting, hence easily separated relation along a plane positioned midway between the top and bottom walls thereof and extending in parallel relation to those Walls. A line of fracture 24 completely encircles carton 10 in a plane medially of the top and bottom walls thereof, that also being the plane of abutment between the two above mentioned stacks of folded table napkins or the like. At the position shown at 26 on side wall 18, and at a like position, not shown, on the opposite side wall .20 (those positions preferably being closer to back wall 16 than to front wall 14) two arcuately diverging lines of fracture 28, 30 branch from line 24 in each of the side walls 18, 20 toward the carton top and bottom, respectively, and continue in spaced parallel relation thereto throughout the remaining portions of the side walls and across the front wall 14.

Thus lines 28, 30 as shown in .side wall 18, FIG. 1, and their registered counterparts in the opposite side wall 20, together with the carton encircling line of fracture 24, define a pair of wrap-around elongate panels 33, 34. Each panel 33, 34 extends across front wall 14 and through major portions of side walls 18, 20, with the panels having a common margin (fracture line 24) in the medial plane of the carton. While the lines of Weakening 24, 28 and 30 above described are preferably lines of perforation, cut score lines, pull strings, or the like are also contemplated.

FIG. 2 shows carton 10 divided into a pair of individual dispensers by application of manual pressure sufficient to effect severance along the medial fracture line 24. As shown in FIG. 3, ribbon-like portion 34 may easily be removed in its entirety from the tray-like carton half shown by suitable pulling action. Contents housed in each carton half in abutting relation along the carton mid-plane as above stated are preferably maintained under some compression. The carton portions thus separated present a pair of attractive article dispensers, each containing one half of the carton contents. FIG. 3 illustrates individual stacks of folded table napkins 22, in each dispenser formed from a carton portion. Each resulting article dispenser includes raised side and back wall portions defined by portions of the medial line of fracture 24 in the plane of article abutment. The raised wall portions gradually lead downwardly into lower wall portions defined in both the side and front walls by lines of fracture 28 or 30 as branched out from medial line 24 to encircle, in parallel spaced relation, the remainder of the carton, as shown in FIG. 1.

The above described carton is particularly adapted for the packaging and dispensing of two stacks of folded items such as paper table napkins, towels, or the like, maintained therein under some compression and in abutting relation along the lines of fold and without interleaving to insure clean severance of the individual stacks. As will be apparent, the carton is particularly adapted to present an attractive appearance While unopened, and since the ribbon-like portions 33, 34 are completely re moved and discarded during the severing operation, those portions may contain the manufacturers name, trademark and other advertising or instructional material which is desirable prior to use but which is considered objectionable during use.

The concept herein taught is thus directed to assuring a user of the combined desirable carton features of easy initial break-apart plus easy subsequent removal of the above described wrap-around panel. While cartons have heretofore been provided with medially disposed wrap-around panels, the medial lines of fracture associated therewith have extended only through the nonrected manual forces as shown in 'FIG. 3.

paneled portion of the carton. Such cartons require initial removal of the wrap-around panel prior to being broken into half portions to provide individual dispensers. Boxboard cartons of the above described type must be fabricated from fairly tough sheet stock, hence panels defined either by lines of perforation or by cut score lines or the like may prove quite difiicult to remove. As an initial removal step, one end of a wrap-around panel must either be pressed inwardly against the carton contents to effect marginal breakage or else a cutting tool or a users fingernail is required to loosen a panel area large enough to be manually grasped. Users often try to avoid the difliculties involved in removing a wraparound panel by attempting initially to break the carton in half, especially if the wrap-around panels leads into lines of weakening in the medial plane. Such attempts are apt merely to result in torn side walls, since the wrap-around" panel type carton is not easily severable in that manner.

Applicants concept of extending the medial lines of weakening completely to encircle the carton thereby divides the medially disposed wrap-around area into two like panels effectively to solve the above problem. The improved carton has proved easily severable along line 24 into half portions without a tendency of the involved forces to cause simultaneous severance of either panels 33 or 34 along lines 28, 30 respectively. After a resulting clean medial severance and resultant divisoin of the wrap-around panel area into two individual panels 33, 34, each such individual panel is then easily severable from its tray-like container by outwardly di- The invention therefore combines the advantages of a carton of a the wrap-around panel type with the inherent advantages of a medially break-apart carton.

Applicants concept of extending the medial lines of weakening completely to encircle the carton thereby divides the medially disposed wrap-around area into two like panels effectively to solve the above problem. The improved carton has proved easily severable along line 24 into half portions without a tendency of the involved forces to cause simultaneous severance of either panels i 33 or 34 along lines 28, 30 respectively. After a resulting clean medial severance and resultant division of the wrap-around panel area into two individual panels. 33, 34, each such individual panel is then easily severable. from its tray-like container by outwardly directed man-- ual forces as shown in FIG. 3. The invention therefore: combines the advantages of a carton of the wraparound panel type with the inherent advantages of a medially break-apart carton.

In the claims:

1. A break-apart dispensing package comprising a. rectangular carton having bottom, top, side and end walls of sheet material, a line of weakening disposed in a plane medially of said top and bottom walls and completely encircling said carton, a pair of lines of weakening branching out from and symmetrically of said medial line to define a wrap-around area comprising a pair of generally U-shaped strip-like removable panels, one on each side of said medial line of weakening, whereby the manual breaking of said carton into half portions along said medial line results in two identical open half portions and manual removal of the associated striplike panel from each half portion results in an article dispenser having wall portions equal to one half the unbroken carton height and remaining wall portions of lesser height to facilitate access to the carton interior.

2. The device of claim 1 including two stacks of articles housed therein in juxtaposition and having nonengaged portions in abutting relation in the plane of said line of weakening.

3. The device of claim 1 including two stacks of folded flexible sheet material with the sheets thereof in parallel relation to the sidewalls, said stacks being of substantially equal size and having non-interleaved abutting folded margins lying in a plane disposed medially of the top and bottom walls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,152,079 Mott Mar. 28, 1939 2,547,892 Stevens Apr. 3, 1951 2,967,610 Ebert Jan. 10, 1961 

1. A BREAK-APART DISPENSING PACKAGE COMPRISING A RECTANGULAR CARTON HAVING BOTTOM, TOP, SIDE AND END WALLS OF SHEET MATERIAL, A LINE OF WEAKENING DISPOSED IN A PLANE MEDIALLY OF SAID TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS AND COMPLETELY ENCIRLING SAID CARTON, A PAIR OF LINES OF WEAKENING BRANCHING OUT FROM AND SYMMETRICALLY OF SAID MEDIAL LINE TO DEFINE A "WRAP-AROUND" AREA COMPRISING A PAIR OF GENERALLY U-SHAPED STRIP-LIKE REMOVABLE PANELS, ONE ON EACH SIDE OF SAID MEDIAL LINE OF WEAKENING, WHEREBY THE MANUAL BREAKING OF SAID CARTON INTO HALF PORTIONS ALONG SAID MEDIAL LINE RESULTS IN TWO IDENTICAL OPEN HALF PORTIONS AND MANUAL REMOVAL OF THE ASSOCIATED STRIPLIKE PANEL FROM EACH HALF PORTION RESULTS IN AN ARTICLE DISPENSER HAVING WALL PORTIONS EQUAL TO ONE HALF THE UNBROKEN CARTON HEIGHT AND REMAINING WALL PORTIONS OF LESSER HEIGHT TO FACILITATE ACCESS TO THE CARTON INTERIOR 